The Incomplete Guide to Phantom Peak and Jessie Buckley
In which Vanessa explores an immersive reality, and Elliot explores the BAFTA winner’s back catalogue
Phantom Peak: The Great Undoing
By Vanessa Burke
Immersive theatre is a booming industry, as contemporary crowds seek experiences over investments with their hard earned money, that no longer goes very far. London has been home to many such acclaimed events: The Great Gatsby first swept Bermondsey, then Central, then the globe; Secret Cinema regularly invites attendees to step into the world of film and television.
Westfield, the shopping mall chain, has decided to buy hard into this trend by inviting two distinct ventures into their two London premises: Wake the Tiger in the former KidZania village, and Phantom Peak into one of their outdoor lots, potentially one that previously hosted an urban IKEA. Only one of these I have prior experience with.
Then what is Phantom Peak?
A place with its own lore that visitors are thrown in head-first. It’s not immediately obvious what you can do, when you get there (currently the last week of operations at their old site in Canada Water is concluding). You will be asked to complete a waiver, but I can assure you that no part of the experience will intentionally endanger you. You will hear a briefing before you are let loose, covering safety, theft, and consent-based interactions with who you find within. There’s a hint of Westworld in the air.
And yet, you can understand that platypi are important, as they adorn all of the decorations visible in this initial briefing area. And a shirtless man, with no face under a top hat, but incredible abs.
The next four hours are your own, to do with as you like, in the place that is Phantom Peak. There is a new town, in the outdoor section, and an old town, inside what was formerly Hawker House. It is filled with characters, props, machines, and stories that connect them. There is also a bar, fast food onsite, and carnival games to get involved in if you desire.
Once the session officially begins, the story opens with a celebration in the old town centre, and a video to bring you into the story more. You are directed to a website which you can use to pick up the plot threads, which tell you about a town full of complex characters, who are doing their best in a crazy world.
Who the heck is Terrence?
Jonas, the man without a face but with abs, is an omnipotent figure who awes the townsfolk in both senses. Any company with his name as a prefix essentially reports to him and his will. Some townsfolk worship in the Church of the Cosmic Platypus. Technology runs on a mined substance called diamant - you will use a lot of technology, such as Klackys (computer terminals), Jonavisions/Videomatics (video players), or the Robo-Doc (a… ‘diagnostic’ tool) to progress your story, alternating with interactions with the townsfolk.
Sometimes being tethered to your phone to understand if you’re progressing the story right can be frustrating, as you want to get on with the ‘doing’. Other times the phone’s progressive clue system helps to get you back on track after you’ve derailed yourself with a hunch. At the end of each storyline you pursue, a collectible card slightly smaller than a playing card provides you a memento of the experience.
Phantom Peak has been open for 3 years, earning the endorsement of entertainment figures Neil Patrick Harris, Carrie Hope Fletcher and Joel Montague. A strong fan community has developed, with an active volunteer-run Discord that the operators participate in for some behind the scenes insight. Dedicated enthusiasts have the option of becoming guild members (currently suspended) to provide a long-term sustainable financing model beyond ticket sales.
The repeat factor
There are many reasons for the ardent return numbers. One is that with the change of the seasons, there is a change of stories. What started in a smaller section of the former Hawker House expanded both inside and outside, allowing a broader canvas, naturally leading to an ability to tell progressing plot lines to explain the changes in space available.
Another element is the random element to who portrays the characters you will meet in town. All of them are gender-neutral to ensure that swings are able to universally cover for roles at short notice. The characterisations broadly stay the same to serve the story beats, but the nuances create favourites for regular visitors, or the desire to complete a set as new actors are cast.
I have only been to two sessions “at the Peak” (yes, that’s how the cool kids refer to it, I’ve decided): a reduced-price research session for Hallowed Peak in 2025, where feedback provided was used to iron out any kinks before general admission for that season; and a full-price ticket to their site finale, “The Great Undoing”. The fan Discord is full of heartfelt messages about the stories told under this theme. Even as an infrequent visitor, I felt the pathos in amongst the comedy that is peppered through it all. It didn’t move me to tears, but maybe I need more sessions to immerse myself in future. For now, I would recommend readers to keep an eye out for ticket offers to dip a toe in the platypus-infested waters.
Phantom Peak will return at some point in the future, at Westfield Stratford City, unless you manage to snag some last-minute tickets by season end (Saturday 28 February).
The Incomplete List of Top Jessie Buckley Performances
By Elliot Wengler
Celebrating her Best Actress win this weekend, I want to shine a light on Jessie Buckley’s incredible power to generate story and empathy through performance, which we’ve been lucky to behold for years now. We’re all agreed she’s a stunning actor. Here’s my top Jessie Buckley performances.
1. Beast
Beast is haunting and beautiful, featuring Jessie Buckley in the role that got her a BAFTA Rising Star nomination. Buckley plays Moll, a 27-year old living with her parents in Jersey, is psychotically depressed about it and decides to escape her own birthday party. She meets Pascal (Johnny Flynn), a Heathcliffe-style love interest, just as the island faces the prospect of a serial killer being on the loose.
It’s bleak, but it’s one hell of a launching pad for Buckley’s career. Full of vim and earthy intensity, and that’s just Buckley herself. The film enjoys never quite defining who or what its titular beast is, making it all the more intriguing.
Beast is available via BFI Player.
2. Wild Rose
I think Wild Rose was the first time I came across Buckley, in which she portrays Rose-Lynn, a Glaswegian in love with country music, but unable to work out a way to follow her dreams in the aftermath of her release from prison. Boisterous and anarchic, Rose-Lynn can’t stick to simple rules and keeps pushing against her probation, but cannot find a satisfying life without returning to music, which prevents her being able to properly look after her kids. It’s not necessarily a heart-wrenching tale of a struggling artist, but Buckley’s performance is enrapturing, spiky rather than fierce, and so clearly vulnerable in her insecurities.
Available via Lionsgate+, whatever that is?
3. Romeo & Juliet, a National Theatre production
Filmed in lockdown as a substitute for the COVID-cancelled production of Romeo & Juliet starring Josh O’Connor and Jessie Buckley as the star-crossed lovers, this was a real treat. Buckley plays Juliet as a wondrous but cautious woman, which makes being swept up in the romance all the more exciting as a transformation for the character.
The production features quirks of having an empty National Theatre to film in, using the space’s harsh brutalist architecture to separate characters to enhance the conflict, or throw them further into fantasy with fantastic at other moments. In an act of pure socialism, this was broadcast on Sky Arts, so was available for everyone during lockdown. What a treat it would have been to watch Buckley do this on stage, what a treat it is to have it filmed.
Available via National Theatre at Home
4. Women Talking
Women Talking is one of those films that deserved more. Based on a true story of women being abused at the Manitoba Colony in Bolivia, the film is a simple story and feels like a play, with characters having a debate in three acts, after one of the girls at the colony is attacked: Stay and Do Nothing, Stay and Fight, or Leave. All of them have huge ramifications for the population. They have to decide quickly, while the colony’s men are away and sorting bail for one of their own on the mainland.
The cast is stunning, featuring Rooney Mara, Claire Foy, Buckley herself, Frances McDormand, and Ben Whishaw, as they frantically and desperately spend hours trying to work out if a better life is possible, or if they are doomed to the colony. Buckley herself is Mariche, one of the women who is not convinced that taking any action or leaving is a good idea, making her one of the more surprising voice of concern in the film.
Women Talking is available on MGM+
If we’ve missed out your favourite Jessie Buckley performance, or you have thoughts on Phantom Peak or immersive experiences…